Friday, December 23, 2016

A Kick in the Pants/Will Never Fade by Jenna Sutton


Two All New, Sexy Riley O'Brien & Co. Novellas

Jake Lilliard has always been a gambling man. So far, all the risks he’s taken — like moving to San Francisco and joining Riley O’Brien & Co. — have paid off. Now he’s ready to take the biggest risk of all: acting on his feelings for Kyla Andrews. As a trainee in his department, she’s off limits. But as soon as Kyla moves on to another job, he is going to make her his. He’s waited long enough…

When tragedy struck Kyla’s family years ago, she started playing it safe. She doesn’t take risks with her job or her heart, and she refuses to be a clichĂ© – the foolish woman who falls for her sexy boss. Yet Jake is everything she has ever wanted, and it’s impossible to resist him and his enticing kisses.

Just when it seems that the gamble they took will pay off, Jake’s past threatens his future with Kyla. He knows lady luck is fickle, but she’s always had a soft spot for him. He’s hoping she won’t turn her back on him when he needs her the most…






The countdown is on for Jake. He's ready to finally pursue Kyla as soon as she no longer under his department. Kyla has had a thing for her sexy boss, but she's cautious and doesn't know if dating the boss is the best idea.  

This a fun and sexy book that will have you smiling and swooning over Jake and his courtship of Kyla. These two has instant chemistry making this book addictive. I liked that the characters are well developed for a novella, and I loved that this was just a great drama free love story. Don't let the novella fool you. Although it may be a short read, it still gives you all the feels of a great book. I really enjoyed this book, the first I've read in the series and I definitely will be checking out the rest in the series!

Metal wall sconces illuminated the corridor, throwing pools of golden light on the dark wood plank floors. A door opened a few feet ahead of her, and Jake emerged from it. He froze when he saw her, his eyes widening before he ambled toward her. 

The narrow corridor made her even more aware of his height and muscular physique, and her body reacted the way it always did when got close. Her heart began to pound, and her breathing grew shallow. Suddenly, her throat was dry, and she swallowed thickly. 
Stopping right in front of her, he looked down into her face. His eyes caught the light from the sconces, glimmering with a million shades of green and gold. They dropped to her mouth before jumping back to hers. 

“You’ve got sugar on your lips,” he notified her, his voice low and gravelly.  
Without thinking, she licked her upper lip. He moved closer, the front of his long-sleeved dress shirt brushing against her chest. She nervously stepped back, afraid that she might throw herself at him. He followed until her back was against the wall. She sucked in a shaky breath, trying not to let him see how much his nearness affected her.
“Not there.” He touched his thumb to her lower lip, toward the corner. “Here.”
Dropping his head, he licked the spot where his thumb had been. She gasped, certain that she was having yet another X-rated dream starring Jake. When his tongue flicked along the outer edge of her upper lip, she realized it wasn’t a dream. 
“And you’ve got some here,” he murmured, tracing her lower lip with his tongue.
She gripped his upper arms, his biceps rock hard under her fingers. “What are you doing?” she breathed against his mouth. 
 He drew back to stare into her eyes. “I’m not your boss anymore, Kyla. I’m just a guy who works for the same company you do, and lucky for me, that company doesn’t have any rules against co-workers dating, even if they’re in the same department.”
She barely heard a word he said because her ears were roaring with her pulse. “What?” 
He smiled slowly, and she couldn’t tear her eyes from his mouth. She clutched his arms tighter, wanting those lips on every part of her body. 
   
   “I’m not your boss anymore,” he repeated. “I have been counting the days until … until I could …”
“Until you could what?” she whispered.
“Until I could be with you,” he answered hoarsely. “That’s all I want … a chance to be with you.




For Phoebe Werner, the management trainee program at Riley O’Brien & Co. represents a new beginning. She’s finally healthy, and she is trying to enjoy life while she can. She never expects to run into Garrett Gale at a New Year’s Eve party. The handsome hotelier is the only man she wants… and a reminder of what she can never have.

Years ago, Garrett enjoyed one memorable night with Phoebe after months of fantasizing about her. And then, she disappeared. She ignored his efforts to contact her, and he did his best to forget her. Now fate has brought her back into his life and his bed. But who knows how long she’ll stay there?

With Phoebe's fears threatening to ruin their chance at happiness, Garrett must convince her that they're meant to be. He can't let Phoebe walk away with his heart again.




I love second chance stories and Garrett and Phoebe's story is a great one. 

Garrett and Phoebe were the best of friends, until one night together, and Garrett never heard from her again. It's been three years since Phoebe disappeared on him, and now here she is... at a party looking so different from the girl he hasn't been able to stop thinking about. Garrett sees this as an opportunity to reconnect with one that got away. But Phoebe has a secret...

Since this is a novella, you can't really say too much about the book but know that this book gives you quite a story that will leave you addicted to this series. Sutton has a way of pulling you into the story, although its a quick read, it's full of heart, hope and great characters.

 
Garrett picked up his fork, but instead of eating off his own plate, he stabbed a piece of chicken off hers. As he brought it to his mouth, she kicked him under the table, not hard, just a tap.  

“If you wanted chicken tagine,” she groused, “you should have ordered it.”

Although his mouth was busy chewing, she could tell he wanted to smile. This was their old routine—him eating off her plate, her chastising him, and him offering little tidbits of his meal to repay her. 
 
Switching his fork for a spoon, he scooped some stew from the orange bowl in front of him and held it up to her mouth. She opened with no hesitation, the whole situation as comfortable and familiar as her favorite flannel nightgown. 

He spooned the food into her mouth. As she chewed the flavorful combination of tender beef, kalamata olives, raisins, and garbanzo beans, she got hints of cinnamon and cumin and a little kick of lemon.

“Oh, that’s good,” she murmured, licking her lips. “Give me another bite.”

He didn’t give her what she wanted. Instead, his eyes dropped to her mouth and stayed there for several heartbeats. She watched as his pupils expanded and his irises darkened from bright turquoise to deep teal. 

She had seen that look in his eyes before, but she hadn’t recognized it for what it was. 

She did now. 

Suddenly the situation was no longer comfortable. And neither was the ache between her thighs. Feeling a syrupy trickle of arousal into her panties, she silently cursed herself and shifted on the banquette seat.  

She’d known it would be impossible for them to go back to the way things used to be. They had opened Pandora’s Box that night. Or, to be more accurate, they had opened Phoebe’s box. 

They’d released a powerful force into their friendship—desire. And that desire simmered beneath the surface like a dormant volcano just waiting to erupt.



Jenna Sutton is a former award-winning journalist who traded fact for fiction when she began writing novels. Surprisingly, the research she conducted for her articles provided a lot of inspiration for her books.

Jenna is the author of the Riley O’Brien & Co. romances. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.

Jenna and her husband live in Texas in a 105-year-old house affectionately known as “The Money Pit”. You can find out more about her and her books by visiting www.jennasutton.com


1 comment:

  1. Thank you for sharing your lovely reviews! Have a wonderful holiday!

    ReplyDelete